Discovering Newton

Earlier this week we welcomed members of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers to the Library. Their visit was part of a symposium to mark the 350th anniversary of Newton’s argument that the Earth’s gravity influenced the moon, counter-balancing its centrifugal force.

Among the items on display were personal effects which belonged to Newton including his compass and ruler, the page from the admissions book recording his entry to the college, his notebook and his own annotated copy of Principia Mathematica.

Isaac Newton’s Walking Stick

Isaac Newton’s Compass and Ruler

Isaac Newton’s Prism

A Lock of Isaac Newton’s Hair

Letter with a Lock of Isaac Newton’s Hair

A Wax Profile of Isaac Newton

A Page from the College Admission Book (1667) with Isaac Newton’s signature